passage

A short part of a book or another piece of writing.

• Read the passage below.
• He quoted two passages from the book.
• Which passage did you find most interesting?

How to use it: a passage from something (She read a passage from her favourite novel.)

Similar words: section, extract, excerpt

Common phrases: read a passage, a short passage, a passage from something

Movement from one place or stage of life to another, or permission to move through a place.

• The guards allowed us safe passage.
• The ceremony marked her passage into adulthood.
• The passage of time changed his views.

How to use it: passage from A to B (The ceremony marks the passage from childhood to adulthood.); passage through something (The army allowed safe passage through the area.)

Similar words: passing, transition

Common phrases: safe passage, free passage, rite of passage, passage of time

A long, narrow way through a building or between places.

• The passage leads to the kitchen.
• We walked down a dark passage.
• Are there secret passages under the castle?

Similar words: passageway, corridor

Common phrases: a narrow passage, a secret passage, down the passage, through a passage

An opening or tube that allows air, liquid, or other things to move through.

• The swelling blocked her nasal passage.
• Air flows through these narrow passages.
• The doctor checked whether the passage was clear.

Similar words: channel, duct

Common phrases: nasal passage, an air passage, a blocked passage

A short part of a piece of music.

• Play that passage again.
• The final passage is very quiet.
• She practised the difficult passages before the concert.

How to use it: a passage from something (The violinist played a passage from the concerto.)

Similar words: section

Common phrases: a musical passage, a difficult passage, play a passage

A journey by ship or aircraft.

• We had a rough passage.
• She booked passage on the next ship.
• Their passage across the ocean took six weeks.

How to use it: passage to somewhere (She booked passage to New Zealand.); passage on something (He paid for passage on a cargo ship.)

Similar words: journey, crossing, voyage

Common phrases: book passage, a sea passage, a rough passage, passage to somewhere

To move cells or germs into another animal or growth material so they keep growing.

• We passage the cells every week.
• The team passaged the virus through mice.
• These cultures have been passaged several times.

How to use it: passage something through something (The researchers passaged the virus through several hosts.); passage something into something (They passaged the cells into fresh medium.)

Similar words: subculture

Common phrases: passage a virus, passage the cells, passage through something